ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Phoenix, Arizona
biennial budget; second
regular session
Moves, from the first
regular session of each Legislature to the second regular session, the
enactment of the State’s biennial budget.
Makes conforming changes to the strategic program area review process.
In 1993, the Legislature
converted small and medium sized budget units to a biennial budget cycle and
established the program authorization review (PAR) process to evaluate the
effectiveness and efficacy of state programs (Laws 1993, Chapter 252). In 1997, the eleven largest budget units
were placed on the biennial cycle, effective FY 1999-2000 and FY 2000-2001
(Laws 1997, Chapter 210). Laws 1997
provided that the major emphasis of the first regular session of each
Legislature would be budgetary review and approval, while program evaluations
and PARs would be conducted during the second regular session. In 1999, the PAR process was streamlined and
renamed the strategic program area review (SPAR) process (Laws 1999, Chapter
148). The SPAR process has continued to
take place during the second regular session of the Legislature, but is more
focussed on the review of interrelated programs.
S.B. 1169 modifies the
time-table for budget enactment and SPAR review. Under this legislation, the budget is enacted during the second
regular session, and programs are evaluated during the first regular session.
There is no discernable
fiscal impact associated with this legislation.
1. Moves, from the first regular session of each Legislature to the second regular session, the enactment of the State’s biennial budget.
2. Moves, from the second regular session of each Legislature to the first regular session, strategic program area reviews.
3. Requires the FY 2003-2004 budget to be prepared and appropriated as an annual budget, with the new biennial budget cycle beginning in 2004 for FY 2004-2005 and FY 2005-2006.
4. Makes technical and conforming changes.
5. Contains a delayed effective date of February 28, 2003.
Prepared by Senate Staff
March 7, 2001